1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a node device for connecting a plurality of pieces terminal equipments, and to a network having a plurality of such node devices, and to a control method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, to realize a high-speed large-capacity network that connects various pieces terminal equipments and copes with the constant increase in the amount of information, networks having node devices connected by a plurality of parallel transmission paths (or lines) have been studied. Configurations for such networks is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-237306 Official Gazette. Such a network obviates the necessity for arbitration control by using a connection alteration portion and a variable channel transmission portion to perform a control operation of changing a channel, to which a signal stored in a buffer is permitted to be outputted therefrom, according to a predetermined pattern.
The present invention is directed to introducing novel control into the aforementioned type of network to thereby improve transmission efficiency. More specifically, in such aforementioned network, in the case that a signal stored in a buffer is outputted by specifying a certain transmission channel, the network is adapted so that the control waits until the buffer has been brought into a state in which the signal can be outputted therefrom to the specified transmission channel. The present invention aims at providing a node device, a network composed of plural node devices, and a control method therefor, whereby, especially, wait (or waiting) time is reduced.
Further, the present invention aims at providing a node device, a network consisting of plural node devices, and a control method therefor, whereby transmission delay is decreased.
Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout several views.